Greenhouse bench



Oct. 7; 1930. 1 E, CNES 1,777,798

GREENHOUSE BENCH Filed April 19, 1928 7 9 I v Y 2s-f1' 8. "-3 cg Jamas E. Twas,

'l v '10 8 WL 0 iof an endsectiomand a fragment of an inter- .20 the sides of the enclosures are formed of` 5ft-lof the intermediate posts. `Figure 5 is anouti, Patented Oct. 7, 1930 JAMES E. JoNEsxor RICHMOND, .INDIANA y GREENHOUSE nENcI-r N Alipiicatidn ined Aprn 19',`

`The object of mypresent invention, broad` lyspealingjs to provide greenhouse benches, in `which plants `may "be germinated yand grown, the same being strong and durable in .r construction, practically indestructible by fire, moisture, rust or `other causes of def terioration, which be assembled without the employment of expert Vlabor or theern-` ployment of nails, screwsor bolts, with but 1U a minimum of time andlabor in assembling; providing proper drai'nagea'nd aeriication;v the parts thereof being adaptedto be-piled in a small compassof space for storage or transportation; and which can be manufactured,` sold, and installed at a comparatively low price. Y' V "More specifically stateid,my object-is to provide agreenhous'e bench,*which mayconsist of one or a pluralityof sections, in which reinforced'concrete slabs', with metal posts 'for retaining the slabs in position, in which tlie'interior of the'benchextends down into connection with thefearth, thereby",dispens-V ingwith the usual elevated bottom` and byl which the weight of the soil materialin which the plants are grown will be carried entirely bythe `ground on* which ,the bench Vis conf` structed, andproviding adequatemeans forI drainage and aeriiicationjofthe soil. wit-hout undue loss of moisture, as is the case whereM 7 the bottomof the "bench issome distance above' thesurfacemofgthe ground. "Other objects and particular advantages of this inven- 35."V tion will be brought out in the course of the followingdescription, land that which is new will bef correlated in the appended claims.

The preferred means for carrying outthe principles of my invention in a practical and scientific manner is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows, in elevation,the end of an intermediate section of my bench, certain of the parts being in section. Figure 2 is a plan view of portions mediate section of my bench. Figure '3 is a perspective view `of the adjoining portions of one side of two sections. Figure 4 is a perspective elevation of the inner side of one prehensively as I may.

shown .1 in lFig. 4. i All. of .thel parts@ ofV the 192s." semer-No. 271,276.

side elevation of one of ltheficorner posts'.v Figure 6 1s an insideelevation of ,one ofthe corner posts. Figure 7fis `crosssection of one of the intermediateposts, taken onthe` line 7e3? of Fig. 4.1 AndFigure 8,1s a `cross section ofone ofthe cornerrposts,taken'on`f the line 8`8`of Fig. 5. Y i' 1,

Similar indices denote like parts throughout the several-views. n

In order nthat the constructionand the Vadvantages. of `my inventionmaybe more full-y understood and appreciated, I will no'wltake up a detailed description thereof, in which I will set forth the same as fullyand as com# Each of thecorner ppsts is,in` infthe-.nature ofa double oblongangle orl a"' cross section, n

threesided trapezoid, that is,4t-hej two sides, i

l and 2,' are spaced apart at right angles to each other and are connected by the face portion 3 located at an obtuseanglewith relation to said sides.` In the angle formed Yby the fmembers l, 2 and 3 and below the center,`

vertically, of said .parts,`is"a shelf 4; A short Vdistance Vbelow the `shelf 4 the sidesl and 2 taper into the member 3. Extending inward" from the center, horizontally, of the member 3, fromthe underside of the shelf 4:,.to near the lower end of the member 3, is therib`5, as shown in Fig. 6. `Extending back from near th'eupper Vendof the member is a triangular lug 6. All'of said parts are integral f with each other. thatlis they are formed a i1 single Vcasting of metal.

KAAll of the intermediate posts are ofthe' saine length said ycorner postsand they each comprise a 'flat face pcrtion7,'whose lower portion tapersfto the? lower end there`` of. An `elongate,d tifialngulargrib 8 ezitends 90 back from the` centen ofthe inner `face `.of the n member? and at right4 angles theretofV `And slightly below `the f center, vertically, ofthe f parts 'l' and 8, rectangular shelves 9Vand l() are,

formed and they are located inthe` two ,angles i.

.formed bythe members A7` and;` 8.1 F rom a .f

point near the shelves 9 andllOztheribf 8 taf? perstoward the niember-Tto'the upper. and

the lower ends of theintermediate post; as

intermediate post are formed integral and of a single casting. Y

The total lengths of the corner posts and the intermediate posts are the same; and the shelves et, 9 and 10 are an equal distance from the ends of their respective stakes.

Each of said posts is to be secured in a concrete base 11, as hereinafter set forth Vand as shown in Fig. 3. T he upper end of the base is substantially level with the shelf 4, or the shelves 9 and 10, and with the surface B of the ground.

Numeral 12 denotes the end slabs and 13 denotes the side slabs. All of said slabs are formed of reinforced concrete, as set forth in a companion application for patent filed April 19, 1928. Serial No. 271,275. Said slabs are of such width, vertically, when set in place, as to be equal with the distance from the shelves 4, 9 and 10 to the top of said posts; and their lengths, horizontally, are predetermined as desired 1n order to meet conditions. i

Letter A denotes the natural earth having the normal surface B.

AssmnbZg/r-In practice a hole is made in the earth A for each post. he lower portion of one of said posts is then inserted in said hole after which the hole is illed in with concrete whereby the upper end of the concrete base 11V and the shelf el, or the shelves 9 and 10 will be on'a level with the surface B of the earth A.

After the posts have all been set and the concrete bases 11 have solidilied, then the slabs 12 and ray be set in position as shown in the drawings, the lower edijes there of being rested on the shelves 1, 9 and 10. After the slabs have been placed in position I next place a layer of charcoal C. or equiv alent, in the enclosure. and on Vthe surface ef the ground to the depth desired, after which the enclosure is filled in with soil D, filling up the enclosure to near the upper edges of the slabs and posts, as in Fig. 1, which will of course retain the slabs in position and-in contact with their posts as shown. The charcoal not only contributes tothe proper drainage of the soil D but it provides proper ventilation and circulation of air with relation to the soil D. Tiling E should be placed through the charcoal C to provide proper drainage.

It is to be understood that a single-section bench may be formed by employing only four corner posts for the four slabs required. Gr any number of intermediate sections may be set up, between the end sections, by using intermediate posts to connect the side slabs in direct lines, as in Fig. 3. Therefore benches may be made of almost any size required without any change whatever in the size of the slabs employed.

Having now fully shown and described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A greenhouse bench comprising a plurality of posts having their lower portions secured below the surface of the ground and projecting thereabove, sides and ends contacting with said posts and support-ed thereby, the enclosure formed by said sides and ends having means for drainage, a filling of charcoal or its equivalent resting on the ground inside said enclosure, and soil resting` on said charcoal and extending upward to near the upper edges of the sides and ends and retaining the sides and ends in contact with the post-s.

2. A greenhouse bench including metal corner-posts each being in the form of a three sided trapezoid in cross section, a shelfintegral with and located in the angle of each post below the center thereof. with the sides of each post below the shelf tapering downwardly, a rib integral with each post and located in the angle thereofY and extending downwardly from the shelf, a concrete base for each post with the top of each base located even with the shelf thereof, concrete slabs resting at their ends upon said shelves to complet-e the enclosure of the bench, and soil located in the enclosure and retaining the slabs in vertical. position against the posts.

3. A greenhouse bench including metal corner posts, a shelf integral with each corner post, a plurality of intermediate metal posts, each of the metal posts being of the same length as the corner posts and each comprising` a flat face, a shelf located below the eenter of each intermediate postand formed integral therewith, a rib extending down 'ardly from cach shelf, the intermediate posts and their ribs being formed to taper downwardly from the shelves thereof, a concrete base for each of the corner posts and the intermediate posts with the top of each' base located on a level with the shelf of its respective post, a concrete slab connecting each two of said posts and restingl on the respective shelves thereof, charcoal located -in the enclosure formed by said slabs, and soil resting on the charcoal and extending up to near the tops of the slabs and retaining ends of the slabs in cont-act with the inner faces of the posts.

JAMES E. JONES.

llO 

